The cold air turned Emily's every breath into small clouds of vapor, and the tingling in her fingers only reminded her how unprepared she was for something like this.

Emily walked aimlessly, her feet moving almost automatically while her mind was lost in a whirlwind of thoughts.

As she passed through the market, some people who knew her from the bakery greeted her with friendly smiles. However, she barely managed to return the greetings, as her mind was drowning in the desperation of trying to remember the wizard's address.

'Where the heck did he live...?' she kept asking herself, trying to piece together the few details she remembered from her conversation with the wizard.

After a few minutes of walking with no clear destination, Emily found herself sitting on a bench in a small park.

Around her, the first rays of the sun filtered through the trees, and a few birds began to sing, as if nothing else in the world mattered.

But for her, the weight of the situation still crushed her.

What would she do now?

Going back to the bakery without fulfilling what she had promised would be a disaster. Emily didn't even want to imagine her grandmother's furious face when she saw her come back without even having reached the wizard's house.

For a moment, she considered the idea of staying in the park all day, then returning home later, saying she had failed to find the house.

But the mere thought of lying made her stomach knot up.

It wasn't just the fear of her grandmother's reaction; there was also a deep sense of shame.

Sighing deeply, Emily closed her eyes to try to calm down a little.

'There has to be something...' she told herself.

Emily thought back to the moment when the wizard gave her the paper with the address. She vaguely remembered him mentioning something about a district where nobles lived, but she hadn't paid much attention to the details...

The words floated in her mind like puzzle pieces, some not fitting quite right.

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'The house was in... the noble district of this...?' Emily wondered, trying to connect the dots.

In the end, she decided she had no choice but to head in that direction.

It wasn't a precise address, but at least it was something.

Emily stood up from the bench, adjusting the ribbon in her hair as she began to walk toward the noble district.

As she walked, the bustle of the market began to grow. The streets were filled with people going about their business, but to Emily, it felt like each step brought her closer to an abyss.

Her heart beat faster and faster, as if it were about to explode from nerves at any moment.

After walking for several minutes, she finally reached the gates of the noble district.

The buildings were imposing, with architectural details that reflected the luxury and opulence of those who lived there.

At the entrance, two armed guards stood watch with serious expressions, their armor gleaming in the sunlight.

Emily's heart stopped for a moment when she saw them, but she knew there was no turning back now.

With cautious steps, she approached the guards. She had barely gotten a few feet from them when one glanced at her and asked in a firm tone:

"Where are you headed?"

Emily felt as though the ground had opened up beneath her.

It was at that precise moment that she realized a crucial detail.

The wizard had never told her his name!

Panic seized her immediately.

'Damn it!' she thought.

How could she have overlooked something so important?

It was absurd to have come all this way without even knowing the name of the person she was looking for.

Now, standing in front of the guards, Emily felt exposed and completely lost.

The second guard frowned, and Emily could feel his eyes fixed on her, waiting for an answer.

But she didn't know what to say—the words escaped her.

"I...," she began, her voice trembling. "I'm looking for...," she stopped, realizing how ridiculous it would sound if she tried to explain her situation.

Before she could continue, a decorated carriage stopped in front of the entrance.

From it emerged a young man, elegantly dressed, accompanied by several girls who were dressed as extravagantly as he was.

The nobleman, with a sly smile, looked Emily up and down, clearly enjoying the spectacle.

"Well, well, well...," said the noble, approaching with an arrogant stride. "What do we have here? What kind of beauty is trying to enter here?"

The girls following him giggled mockingly, one of them adding with disdain:

"You've got to be kidding. That girl is clearly a commoner."

Another joined the taunts, pointing to the ribbon in Emily's hair.

"Look at that ribbon... it's obviously old."

Emily lowered her head, feeling humiliated by the comments.

Heat rose to her face, wishing at that moment she could disappear. But the nobleman silenced them immediately with a gesture of his hand.

"Quiet. I was being serious," he said with a broader smile as he stepped closer to Emily.

The nobleman got so close that Emily could smell the strong perfume he was wearing. With a smile she couldn't quite interpret, he leaned in slightly toward her.

"Miss, where are you headed?" he asked, his voice as sweet as it was unsettling.

Emily's heart pounded.

She knew she couldn't lie, but she also couldn't tell the truth.

Because the truth was that... she didn't herself didn't know where she was going!